Yami no Duelist
by Beloved Morning Star
Summary: Set in our world, Please Read and Review. About a female duelist who wants to be the best at all costs, even if it means risking her sanity.
1. Ichi

Yami no Duelist  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or the cards. I don't own Hello Kitty. I don't own the poem or the songs or the singer mentioned. I own nothing in the story but the characters I made up (Which may or may not be all the characters depending on how the story flows). This is just a Fanfiction I wrote for fun.   
  
Any similarities between my story and others are purely coincidental. And any characters of mine resembling real people happen to be completely unintentional. I tried my best to keep the duels error free however I am only human, sorry. If you find the main character to be offensive I am truly sorry and you have my permission to have her star in a Fanfiction about her death.  
  
I'm trying to upload this edited chapter, I hope it turns out fine.  
  
Means I'm not sure if my calculations are right.  
  
Read and Review Please! It would mean so much.  
  
Ichi  
  
In the morning hours before school just outside the bounds of her middle school and in the park, Christy found herself in the middle of one of the toughest duels she ever played in her life. She sat on the wet green grass hoping she wouldn't ruin her new clothes her mom bought for her just the other day. She new she probably wouldn't but she was always paranoid about these things.  
  
Christy wore an awfully colored green sweater, she liked green, it was her favorite color, but this shade of green was the worst she ever saw. It reminded her of the time she went out to eat at the new Italian restaurant and found a bug in her food and then proceeded to puke all over the place. To go with the ugliest sweater in the world she had the ugliest blue shorts on as well. Yet she cared not, for these were gifts from a loving but fashionably challenged mother.   
  
Her hand trembled as she extended her arm to her trusted deck; hoping it would come through for her. Yet it did not, for as she turned her card toward her face her eyes gazed upon the Ritual Spell to summon Relinquished. She had already lost the monster to her opponent's Spell Delinquent Duo. The spell's effect stated that at the cost of 1000 Life Points he discarded one of her cards, Relinquished, and then she was forced to discard another of her own.   
  
She looked at the grim situation in which she found herself, three cards in hand and none on the field while her opponent had out three Vorse Raiders and a Gemini Elf. Christy gazed into the cold eyes of her opponent, the high school student known by his nickname "the Dueling Crusher."  
  
"How embarrassing," Christy muttered under her breath, "Losing to an idiot who calls himself 'the Dueling Crusher' and plays a stupid beatdown deck." Christy examined her options. Her hand contained two Cure Mermaids and a Spell Card. "My only chance is to bluff." Christy's right hand snatched a Cure Mermaid from her left and threw it on the ground. "I play Cure Mermaid and one card Face Down.   
  
'The Dueling Crusher' drew a card bringing his hand to five. "No matter what card that is, you can't win now." He laughed into the blue sky. "For I am 'the Dueling Crusher' go now Vorse Raider attack Cure Mermaid and reduce her Life Points to zero.  
  
The bluff failed and Christy lost. Her opponent 'the Dueling Crusher' flexed his arm rolling back the short sleeve of his orange shirt that covered his muscles. 'The Dueling Crusher' was muscular and loved to brag about it. He could always be heard talking about his position on the school football team.  
  
Christy always hated losing to guys who tried to act macho or pretend they were better then everyone else, she thought they were stupid. She didn't care how strong they were or about anything else, what always bothered her was how mean they were.  
  
"And now I claim your Cure Mermaid." He snatched the girl's card. "See ya later." 'The Dueling Crusher began to run as fast as he could. " By the way, you should work on your deck." He shouted from the distance.  
  
"Come back here." Christy snatched her deck and chased after the thief. "We did not agree on that." Christy chased after the thief. "Someone stop him." She was too focused on the escaping thief that she failed to notice a large boulder blocking her path. She fell and hit her stomach on the stone. "Oww," she pushed herself to her feet while holding her stomach.  
  
Whilst all this was taking place, another high school duelist was listening to her CD's in the cafeteria, at times humming or even singing along with her cold yet beautiful voice. Her skin was pale white from all the make up she wore; her black hair barely could be noticed on her black gothic dress fell to the floor. Her black fingernails tapped the table in rhythm with her favorite pop song from Japan as her lips; turned black with lipstick mouthed the words to Utada Hikaru's song entitled Hikari. Hikari was not the name of only the song but of this female duelist, yet she preferred to be referred to as "Yamino Ami."   
  
All this came to an end when the bell rang and Yamino Ami lifted onto her back, the black backpack containing a majority of textbooks. The one textbook not in her backpack was the one containing the lessons of geometry. She kept it out for geometry was the class she had in the day's first period. She turned off her CD player and stuffed it into her backpack. She held her geometry book close to her chest, admiring the Hello Kitty book cover protecting it from dust and other such things that may harm a textbook. "Now let the fun begin."  
  
At the start of class the teacher handed back tests from the previous day. Yamino Ami couldn't bear to look. She was too worried about her grade to see what it was. Another student walking by spoke, "Yamino Ami its safe to look you got an A-." How those words tormented her mind, heart, and soul. She made a nest with her arms and placed her head inside and began to silently weep.   
  
"I studied so hard and thrice checked my answers, what went wrong." She wiped her cheeks. "Oh well, it's still pretty good." She checked the ones she got wrong and tried them out again, getting what she hoped were the right answers. She tried to concentrate with all the noise of the other students discussing the grades they had earned on their tests.   
  
The school hours seemed to wash away and soon only sixth period art remained. The teacher had instructed them to go outdoors and paint the sky, requesting they try to work on the texture of the clouds. Yamino Ami got a slight bit creative and painted the sky at twilight with a beautiful mixture of colors, amazingly textured clouds, and the beautiful sight of the sun and moon sharing the same sky.   
  
"Yamino Ami," another art student called out her name, It was her friend Jacob. "Can I see your painting?" She angled it towards him. "Wow that's amazing, I wish I could paint like you. Do you paint a lot at home?"  
  
"Not really," she answered. "My greatest hobbies are playing Yu-Gi-Oh and ranting about Japan letting America make their own movie that is probably going to conflict the plot." She looked at the boy; "Do you play Yu-Gi-Oh?" She asked him.  
  
"No my sister Christy does. She called me saying that a guy named 'the Dueling Crusher' beat her and stole the Cure Mermaid her best friend gave to her. "That sucks doesn't it?"  
  
Yamino Ami just nodded as the bell rang. She handed her teacher the painting and took off on a quest. A quest to find ....the restroom. She did what was needed and hurried off to the park. "I've heard of the 'Dueling Crusher' before. He's usually very mean to his opponents. I guess I'll just have to teach him a lesson."  
  
Yamino Ami headed to the park searching for the one she wished to find. A little child began following her around. She began to speak in a zombie like voice. "What do you want?" She began staring at the kid with a cold gaze. "You do know that what your doing is very impolite, correct? Please stop following me," she paused "or I'll eat you." She attempted to scare the child off.  
  
"Tell me a story." The child demanded.  
  
"You should ask someone you know, not a stranger, but I'll tell you a poem anyway." She tried not to giggle. "Mary had a little lamb," she said with no flavor, "whose fleece was white as snow." The child jumped up and down, it was probable this was one of his favorites. "And everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go. It followed her to school one day which was against the rules, but nobody really cared," she slowed down "when....they...ate.... Mary's little lamb stew." The child ran off crying.  
  
Yamino Ami continued until she found the duelist she recognized as 'the Dueling Crusher.' He was muscular and had short spiky black hair. He wore faded blue jeans and no shirt. He was doing push-ups in the grass. "Hey Dueling Idiot." Yamino Ami called out. The boy turned his head. "So you admit it." She walked over to 'the Dueling Crusher' and stood there.  
  
"Are you going to challenge me to a duel?" He asked. "Cuz I'm ready to go anytime anywhere." He continued working out. "Except Thursday afternoons, I'm always at the gym lifting weights." He bragged. "So are you challenging me or not?"  
  
"Tomorrow, after school. My conditions are, If you win you get my deck and I'm your slave until you die. But if I win you return Christy's Cure Mermaid and then you shall play my penalty game."  
  
"Penalty game, sounds interesting. My conditions are that we have a crowd watching so that the loser will face public humiliation." He smiled.  
  
"I had been hoping you would say that." Yamino Ami walked off. "I hope you can handle my penalty game, baka-san."  
  
"Mr. Idiot?" 'The Dueling Crusher laughed. That's quite a funny thing to call someone. I hope you turn out to be my first worthy opponent. I haven't played any in a year." His voice became a whisper only he could hear, and just barely. "In fact I've only ever had one real challenge."   
  
Late into the cold night Hikari, not Yamino Ami stayed awake preparing her deck. The makeup and lipstick came off with a shower, and now she was Hikari. When she was like this she was a completely different person. She filled her deck with light and dark monsters, a few cute cards, and a dash of air.  
  
"When morrow arrives it shall begin normal but shan't stay that way. An important duel shall commence." She stopped. "If commence means what I think it does." She laughed, "It would be so embarrassing if it didn't." She placed one last card in her deck. "Nighty-night!"  
  
News spread like wildfire and about a quarter of the school planned to watch the duel, and every one else talked about it like it was the biggest thing since the creation of Yu-Gi-Oh the American card game based on Yu-Gi-Oh the Japanese Card game. By the afternoon many decisions were altering and half the school showed up surrounding the two duelists on both sides all talking and shouting until instructed to "shut up."  
  
A neutral party by the name of Harold was to be the announcer and keep track of the scores. "Introducing our two nicknamed duelists, 'the Dueling Crusher," loud applause was given as the young man stood up. He wore dark blue jeans and a blue sleeveless shirt. "And the lovely gothic duelist Yamino Ami," Yamino Ami shuffled her deck. She wore the exact same outfit as yesterday, the day before, the month before. The same outfit she loved ever since she became Yamino Ami a year ago. "Both duel with something at stake. If 'the Dueling Crusher wins, he gets Yamino Ami's entire deck, and she becomes his slave for life. If he loses he has to return a card he had won in a previous duel with one of Yamino Ami's friends, and then play a mysterious penalty game. This is sure to be an exciting duel, who'll win, nobody knows. So place your bets now!"  
  
Yamino Ami waited in disgust as her dueling skills and her opponent's were being bet upon. "I'll go first." They both drew five cards and Yamino Ami drew a sixth, signaling the beginning of her move. I'll set this card Face Down and summon Sangan in attack mode." (A: 1000)   
  
"You just as easily could have placed it face down in defense mode and protected your Life Points. So I presume you have a trap." 'The Dueling Crusher' drew a card, "I'll activate De-Spell just to get a glance at it."  
  
"Correct, it is a trap, one I activate now, Solemn Wishes. With it in play I gain a five hundred Life Point boost whenever I draw." Yamino Ami spoke in a calm voice as if nothing was at stake. "Please, continue your turn."  
  
"I summon in attack mode Vorse Raider." (A: 1900) "Vorse Raider attack Sangan now." 'The Dueling Crusher laughed.' "Well Sangan's special effect lets you fetch a monster from your deck with attack 1500 or less." Yamino Ami quickly did just that.  
  
"And Yamino Ami takes 900 damage dropping her Life Points to 7100. Will she lose to the ferocious power of a beatdown deck? Let's wait and see." Harold narrated the duel."  
  
Yamino Ami drew and her Life Points increased by 500, which as Harold narrated brought it up to 7600. "I play a magic card Torture Room of Nightmares. If ever I should deal you damage by means other then battle or by this card a Torture Room of Nightmares itself; you'll suffer 300 damage extra. Next I summon in attack mode Witch of the Black Forest." (A: 1100) "Your move."  
  
"I'll draw," 'the Dueling Crusher' kept his word, "And summon an additional Vorse Raider. Now I have two strong monsters out, neither of which required a tribute." 'The Dueling Crusher' began laughing.  
  
"You laugh like a villain from a Japanese video game that gets killed in the end, if not sooner. Hurry your turn so I may begin mine."   
  
"Go my Vorse Raiders attack." 'The Dueling Crusher, despite Yamino Ami's words, laughed again.  
  
"One Vorse Raider has destroys Yamino Ami's Witch of the Black Forest and the other attacks her directly, amazing, Yamino Ami doesn't seem to care that she just lost 2700 Life Points and has only 4900 left." Harold's narration continued. Well her dead monster let's her get another from her deck, just like Sangan, only it's defense must be under 1500. What will she pick?"  
  
"My Life Points increase as I draw." She nearly smiled but struggled to resist the urge. "I play this Face Down and play in attack Nightmare Horse which can attack directly." (A: 300) "I'll have it do so."  
  
"And for the first time, 'the Dueling Crusher' takes damage, though it is minimal. He has a whopping 7700 Life Points remaining as opposed to 5400."  
  
He drew. "I summon my ferocious beast by tributing my two monsters, my two Vorse Raiders to Blue Eyes White Dragon." (A: 3000) "Go strike her horse." Once more he laughed. "You'll lose 2700 Life Points."  
  
"I'll activate Torture Wheel it holds your dragon in place and on each of my turns deals you 500 damage and triggers my magic card. Now I'll draw." Harold announced that 'the Dueling Crushers Life Points were now 6900 a 1000 more than Yamino Ami's. "Now I summon Shining Angel." (A: 1400) "Now go Nightmare Horse attack."  
  
'The Dueling Crusher' began to fan his face. "It's getting kind of hot so I'll try to make this quick. I'll Mystical Space Typhoon your offending trap and summon a third Vorse Raider and have both monsters attack." Shining Angel had an effect that went unused.  
  
"That move leaves Yamino Ami with just 2700 Life Points, 3200 once she draws a card," Harold began talking of the many duelists 'the Dueling Crusher annihilated in previously ended duels, and stated that Yamino Ami's chances were slim.  
  
Yamino Ami opened her move with Card Destruction discarding their hands in exchange for new ones. Among her lost cards were three Big Koalas and two light types. "I play Soul Absorption. It raises my Life Points by 500 whenever cards are removed from my graveyard. I'll remove the two light types to special summon Soul of Purity," (A: 2000), "which will attack your weaker monster. Next I play Soul Release on my graveyard."  
  
"Raigeki will rid me of your bothersome monster and allow a direct attack, bringing your Life Points to 1200. You've pulled of a few good parlor tricks, but nothing impressive. That's why you'll lose." Taunted 'the Dueling Crusher.' "You certainly aren't the worthy opponent I hoped for."  
  
"I never knew you were a mind reader." Yamino Ami retaliated as she drew. "The Dark Door shan't let more then a single monster attack per turn. And Stray Lambs will protect me with defensive Sheep Tokens that haven't any attack or defense." In his two following turns 'the Dueling Crusher' did naught but attack. On her following turn Yamino Ami played a Face Down card.   
  
"I win go Blue Eyes attack her 2700 Life Points directly."  
  
"I flip Remains of Yatagarasu allowing me to draw a card." Her 200 Life Points remaining became 700 on her following turn. "My counter attack begins now, she stated." Dark Hole cleared the field and Graceful Charity let her draw three cards then discard two. "I play Soul Release again removing some magic, trap, and monster cards. Then I play DD Borderline, as long as no magic exists in my grave no Battle Phase may be declared. And I summon Chaos Rider Gustav." (A: 1400) "Once per turn I can remove magic cards from my grave and for each one I remove, he gains 300 attack until you end your turn, so I remove my magic cards from play."   
  
"Crap I can't do anything so I play this in Defense Mode." 'The Dueling Crusher' complained. Yamino Ami played a card in Defense Mode as well.   
  
And on her next turn. "So I'll draw. I summon Banisher of the Light in attack mode," (A: 100) "and flip my Armed Ninja," she destroyed DD Borderline, "and play the magic card Cheerful Coffin." Yamino Ami's monster sent all cards destined for the graveyards on a trip to be removed from play. Cheerful Coffin was removed from play and then let Yamino Ami discard three cards from her hand; those were removed from play. And so was DD Borderline. "This ends next turn."  
  
"I doubt it, Blue Eyes White Dragon exterminate her weakest monster. Leave her with 800 Life Points left." Again, he laughed. "Even when you draw you'll have but 1300 Life Points left. You can't win."  
  
I calculated again. I'm not sure but I may have made a mistake the first time. If so the numbers are 1800 and 2300.  
  
"'The Dueling Crusher' may be right," commented Harold. "Yamino Ami needs a miracle to win now. Will she get one?" The air was thick as Yamino Ami drew her card casually. All the high school students waited in suspense for a card that could determine the outcome of a duel.  
  
Yamino Ami threw down the card she had last turn. "I summon and attack you directly with Red Lobster Beast Da Iiza. The attack and defense for this card are both 400x the number of my cards removed from play. And I have nineteen cards removed from play," Harold quickly did the math but Yamino Ami beat him, "7600!"  
  
"I lost. I was wrong Yamino Ami." He offered a handshake but she refused. Here is Christy's card back. Guess it's time for me to play your penalty game, huh?"  
  
"Tomorrow." Yamino Ami walked off. She walked to Jacob's house and knocked on the door. Christy answered. "I believe this is yours," she said handing the card over. Christy smiled and shouted out the loudest thank you in the world. "Don't mention it." Yamino Ami walked away.  
  
As a penalty game, 'the Dueling Crusher' whose real name was Michael, had to volunteer at the homeless shelter for a week. He grew to like it and continued working on all days except Thursdays, which he still dedicated to the gym. Hikari felt proud of these minor accomplishments hoping they would add up. Until then she would waste hours upon hours singing one of her favorite video game songs, "Ai yi yi I'm your little butterfly; green, black, and blue make the colors in the sky."   
  
Please Review! 


	2. Ni Updated May 12th

Disclaimer: I own only the characters. I own nothing else. I own not the cards, the song etc. I own not the idea to set fire to the restroom located next to a geometry class, this is something that happened a lot at my school, and I doubt the concept of burning restrooms is exclusively used at my school only.  
  
"All words in these symbols should be speech, though the chance of a typo exists."  
  
'If I meant to use these symbols, then it shows thoughts.'  
  
Mistakes I Made: Chapter 1  
  
Yamino Ami has short hair darker then even night.  
  
Someone says something along the lines of 'Crap I can't do anything so I play this face down.' (Can't remember exactly & I'm to lazy to look it up. Sorry!) That's supposed to be 'the Dueling Crusher.' Then on her turn Yamino Ami makes the same play.   
  
I wanted to upload my re-edited chapter one but couldn't figure out how. Sorry!  
  
Please review after you finish reading, please!  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Ni  
  
May 12th Corrected a very big mistake, for the few (if any) readers, you may want to reread this chapter.  
  
"The sky blankets the town with a black sheet of air dotted with countless balls of gas, that though live long, are still destined to die. That's what I have to say about stars. They live long boring lives hanging around one place waiting to blow up." Yamino Ami randomly commented. "Movie Stars are just the same, they're popular now, yet one day they'll simply vanish from the papers completely forgotten about and wiped clean from our memories as soon as the next big deal comes along."  
  
"And you're telling me this, why?" Asked the random female student on the bus to school that Yamino Ami chose to speak to. "Is it because of something I mumbled before you woke me up?" The girl had been asleep before Yamino Ami spoke to her. She twirled her short red hair in confusion.  
  
"You were talking in your sleep, which shouldn't be happening, because on the bus you should be awake. But lots of people do fall asleep so in reality I guess it may not be all so bad. My name's Yamino Ami, what's yours?" An odd part of Yamino Ami's personality was that she every so often liked to jump around in conversations. It was actually one of Hikari's traits that still remained after she transformed.  
  
"My name's Rose, maybe you've heard of me. I'm always entering in Magic: The Gathering Tournaments, and always coming in first. So I want to try Yu-Gi-Oh, but I don't know how. I hear your one of the best, care to teach me after school? I'll return the favor."  
  
"Very well, in exchange for my services I simply request that you," Yamino Ami "Volunteer as a tutor outside of school for a month." Yamino Ami smiled, something common for Hikari but not for Yamino Ami. "Do you accept my terms? If you do then training begins today as soon as we step off the bus."  
  
"Hai! That's Japanese for yes." Rose smiled back. "But I hear you know quite a bit of Japanese, so you probably knew that."  
  
Yamino Ami was literal when she spoke of beginning training once the bus ride ended. Her behind maneuvered found a path to the cold cement sidewalk leading from the parking space to a school building not far into the distance. "Three major forms of cards exist. Magic cards, now called Spells, the rumored answer to the common question of why is that a lawsuit was filed by the creators of Magic: the Gathering for use of the word magic which is stupid as it is a word anyone should be able to use, but I've seen no evidence denying or supporting this statement." Yamino Ami took a breath. "Anyway they act similar to what I believe you would call a Sorcery in the MTG TCG, I'm not to sure, so I could be wrong. They have effects you can use on your turn before they are sent to the graveyard. Permanent Magic Cards stay on the field. Ritual Magic's summon special Ritual Monsters." Yamino Ami continued giving a description of all the other forms of magic cards including Field Magic cards and Equip Cards. Next she spoke of traps, then chains then monsters and sacrificing. "Each monster has a level determined by its number of stars. If the card is a Level 5-6 you must offer a single of your monsters. Higher levels require an additional offering to the monster you wish to aid you. Take note however that certain monsters have special requirements to bring them forth." Yamino Ami continued forth with a description of battling between monsters and such. Finally the lesson was over. "Here, I happened to bring an extra deck with me, you can have it. Look at it and devise some form of strategy. Training will continue during lunch, which is when we'll have a training duel. Also take note that your deck actually revolves around one particular monster and strengthening it, so try to find that monster and devise your strategy then."  
  
"Alright Sensei Yamino Ami. I'll do my very best to construct a strategy on how to effectively use these cards in the deck you have provided me with." Rose giggled. 'Okay that just sounds stupid.' Her thoughts insulted her words. "See you during lunch." Rose walked away fanning through the cards Yamino Ami had given her to use. "There seem to be an awful lot of equip cards, I wonder why." Her eyes stopped upon an effect monster card. "Maha Vailo, for each equip card on it, it gains 500 extra attack points." Rose smiled. "I believe I have a strategy. Now to work on some bluffs." Bluffing was always one of Rose's good points. If it sounded like she was bluffing you never knew if it was to lure you into a false sense of security and attack, or to make you think she wanted you to think it was safe when it was dangerous, when in reality it was safe and she wanted you to not attack. She usually bluffed to protect herself. Either that or to make it sound like a bluff as a way to make her actual bluffs sound authentic. When playing Magic, she had won entire tournaments by bluffing! She hoped her Yu-Gi-Oh skills would be just as good.   
  
Yamino Ami found herself in a dreadfully boring Geometry class in which the common Pythagorean Triples were reviewed to death. She wished almost willing to murder, or at the least to grab her geometry textbook and throw it at the teacher. 'I'll do it!' Yamino Ami grabbed the textbook and began to lift it up.  
  
'No, don't,' Hikari's thoughts burst through giving her temporary control of her actions. 'What's wrong with me. I'm giving Yamino Ami too much control. Is having her around worth all this?' Hikari thought for a moment before she lost control to her alter ego Yamino Ami.  
  
'OF COURSE I AM NEEDED BY YOU!' Yamino Ami's thoughts were loud in her, and Hikari's head, it was as if she were screaming at the top of her lungs, with all the energy she could muster. 'YOU'LL NEED ME UNTIL OUR QUEST ENDS SUCCESFULY!' Hikari felt sure that if Yamino Ami were to scream that loud with her voice, it would surely break a record of some sort. Hikari took control and held her head in pain, Yamino Ami took over again quickly. 'You do remember why you created me don't you, why you need me?' Her 'voice' was back to its usual zombie like state, cold and emotionless. 'Do you?' Yamino Ami asked.  
  
'Yes,' was Hikari's reply. 'I'll never forget, no matter how much I want to, no matter how much my mother denies it, I'll always remember.' Hikari's emotions were too strong for Yamino Ami, and with Hikari in control, tears streamed down her cheek. "I want to forget," she whispered to the air around her. "I want to forget," she repeated herself hoping that by saying it again, her wish would come true.  
  
'Keep me around and you'll be the best duelist and get extra publicity for my unique look and attitude.' Yamino Ami thought for Hikari to hear. She fought and regained control. 'That is what you desire, correct? You desire,' she began to pause 'publicity, right?' Yamino Ami asked even though she knew the reply would be a yes, which it was. 'Good Hikari!'  
  
"What's that smell?" Asked a random student. This got the teacher's attention. She ran to the red fire extinguisher in the corner of the room. "The bathroom's on fire again isn't it?" The teacher nodded as she ran out the door.  
  
'I've got a great idea.' Yamino Ami laughed secretly in her mind where only Hikari could hear. 'A very excellent idea indeed.' Hikari quickly began struggling in vain for control. But despite how much she tried she remained at the will of Yamino Ami. She tried to stop her other self but couldn't.  
  
'Don't do it aibou. Please, don't;' she pleaded with her other self.  
  
'Partner, ha. This is not the anime, we are not partners. So don't you dare call me aibou or I shall torture you in some form or another, even if it brings pain to me. I have a much higher threshold for pain. So whilst you suffer I shan't mind very much, if at all I mind, that is.' Yamino Ami walked to the front of the room and stepped behind the table on which stood the overhead projector their teacher used to display examples and notes. Using the chair as a stepladder she got on top of the table. "Now I will not join in on this activity, however the teacher is not around, and should anyone desire too, running away shan't be too difficult. Surely the security will chase after you, yet if many of you participate in this activity then the security won't be able to get you all. Now I must stay so that I can make sure those also remaining tattle not on me, for if they do;" she looked at those students most likely to report her activity to the teacher, "I will have my horrifying revenge." She back flipped off the table onto the floor. After applauding her, a majority of the students ran off. 'That was fun.' Yamino Ami returned to her seat.  
  
'What have you done?' Hikari asked in a sentence that would have earned an exclamation point had it not been a question. 'Yamino Ami that was so wrong.' This self-conflict continued until third period. That was not at all uncommon for Hikari and Yamino Ami, two very different personalities of the same person. Hikari sometimes felt as if she was Ryou and Yamino Ami was Bakura. Sometimes while still Yamino Ami she would fall asleep, and upon awaking she would discover her hair sticking out like a Yami's. After another period Lunch had arrived and Yamino Ami began her duel with Rose.  
  
Yamino Ami began to speak. "First we shuffle our decks and draw five cards. If dueling against someone you think may cheat you are supposed to exchange decks for shuffling, let's not do that as it takes to long. Now I'll let you decide whether you or I shall make the opening move."  
  
"I'll go first." Rose ran her fingers through her red hair and drew a card. "I set a card in Defense Mode." 'I just set my Sangan and it can fetch my Witch of the Black Forest which, in turn can nab Maha Vailo the star of my deck.' (D: 600?) "I end my turn!" Stated Rose.  
  
Yamino Ami drew. "I summon Black Forest Witch in attack mode with 1100 attack points and attack." Rose revealed Sangan. "My monster's attack is higher then your defensive monster's defense so your monster is destroyed but you take no damage to your Life points. However when Critter or as you know him, Sangan, is sent to the graveyard his effect triggers. You're now allowed to fish from your deck a monster with under 1500 attack points. I'll end my turn by placing this Face Down." 'Why am I doing this Hikari?' Yamino Ami asked with a tinge of annoyance to her thoughts.  
  
'You are doing this because Rose has joined our Happy Circle of Friends." Hikari answered. 'Just like Jacob and Christy. So be nice or let me take over,' Hikari knew that Yamino Ami would never relinquish control in a duel. Control, something she and Yamino Ami always fought for. When she was Hikari, she predominantly had more control. But Yamino Ami could take control, and vice-versa when the black clothing and white makeup where used.   
  
Rose drew a card from her deck. "I'll take a risky chance. I summon my Witch of the Black Forest. I want to trigger its effect but, I know little about your deck and it's secrets, so I don't want you to use your Witch's effect. So I equip it with Malevolent Nuzzler. Then I attack, since my equip card gave your monster 700 more attack points then mine I take that much damage and lose my monster. But now I get a monster from my deck with under 1500 defense." 'And I choose Maha Vailo.'   
  
"I'll activate my trap card Solemn Wishes. Now whenever I draw a card I gain 500 Life Points. Do you continue your turn?" Yamino Ami asked. Rose shook her head. 'This duel is boring.' "Tell you what. As I know all the cards in your deck I'll penalize myself 2000 Life Points, whether you like it or not. That makes the score 7300 you and 6000 me, 6500 as soon as I draw a card." Yamino Ami smiled at the gift her deck had given her. 'Dark Necrophia.' "Next I summon Gravekeeper Chanter with an attack of 800 and the automatic effect to damage you for a loss of 500 Life Points." Yamino Ami smiled. "I attack you directly and end my turn after placing one card Face Down." 'Seven Tools of the Bandit.' Yamino Ami prepared a defense against traps.  
  
Rose drew a card. "I summon Maha Vailo with1550 attack and attack Gravekeeper Chanter." Rose placed a card Face Down announcing her move as she did so. She ended her turn as Yamino Ami drew.   
  
"I'll set a Defense Monster and attack your Maha." 'If her reversed card is a trap I can simply counter it with my Seven Tools of the Bandit.' Yamino Ami figured she had the upper hand. Rose smiled as she reached toward her Set card.  
  
"I activate Tailor of the Fickle!" Yamino Ami smiled at Rose's creative play even if it gave Rose the advantage. It was a quickplay magic card immune to Seven Tools. "It lets me take an equip card, I choose Malevolent Nuzzler and move it to another target, my Maha Vailo. Yamino Ami took a card from her deck and Rose began her turn. "I summon Neo the Magic Swordsman attack 1700! Next I equip Maha with Axe of Despair giving her an increase of 1500 attack. My Neo will attack your Defense Monster and my trump will attack you directly. Yamino Ami drew after placing her destroyed Ojama Yellow in the graveyard. The score was 950-4200. "I'm sorry to have to end this duel so quickly, but I equip Maha with Axe of Despair and steal it with Snatch Steal. That raises her attack to 6250, which destroys Neo and deals you 4550 damage."  
  
Hikari took over, sorry I couldn't prolong the duel. I had some amazing combos I wanted to show you. I really wanted to show you my Lobster Demon and Chaos Rider, maybe next time?"  
  
"I look forward to it sensei."  
  
"Please just call me Yamino Ami!" Hikari shouted out as the bell rang and she dashed off. The rest of the day spontaneously combusted into nothingness. At home Hikari was set free to reflect on the creation of Yamino Ami. 'When I first became her it was all just an act. But now it's almost as if she's real. She's another personality inside me and I think I'm afraid of her. Yet I need her. If ever I want to become the best I need Yamino Ami. Even if I continue to lose more and more control to her. All her thoughts once were an act of mine, now they're her own. What have I done?' Hikari kept pondering. 'Is it worth it?'  
  
'Of course.' Countered Yamino Ami, who took over and bit her finger. 'Don't ever question my value again.' Yamino Ami got up in Hikari's body. 'You remember the day you decide you needed me?'  
  
'Yes. I remember that day, a year ago."  
  
Flashbacks

"And now my three Black Magician of Chaos's attack you directly." Hikari won a local tournament.  
  
The news on the following day, "Many children and teenagers are now playing the Japanese card game Yu-Gi-Oh so I decided to do a special report on what makes the game popular. So I decided to interview the most unique duelist I could find." Screen shows a teenage boy with many piercings and tattoos covering his chest and stomach."  
  
Then a week later. "Hikari did you hear, the news did a report on a deaf duelist who became a state champion," her mother told her.  
  
"If there were something more unique about me I could get more publicity." Hikari told herself.  
  
End  
  
"I want to be known as the best in the world, without Yamino Ami everyone will ignore me." Hikari silently began to weep.  
  
Just a note: I based a little bit of Hikari on myself, mostly her favorite songs. Not that it really matters. I hope you enjoyed it. Please take a short bit of time simply to review, it would mean a lot to me.


	3. That Which We Call a Rose

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! I don't own DDR either. I don't own an American Tail. I don't own any of the songs mentioned; or the games, shows, etc. that they are from (For those that do fit into such a category.) April 29th: Fixed a few stupid mistakes I made! May 5th: Actually uploaded corrections, or at least tried. Chapter Three That Which, we Call a Rose,  
  
She could, but she wouldn't. Yet she could, she was there; which, was where what she needed was. So she just as easily could do it. It would be so simple and easy. But her mind wouldn't allow her, so then again its not like she actually could do it if her mind wouldn't let her. Maybe she would just have to do it without her minds permission. But the last time she did that, Yamino Ami was created. So Hikari didn't want to take a chance at facing public humiliation.  
The mall was quite crowded with people that Friday afternoon, as was to be expected. Teenagers and children accompanied by adult supervision filled the stores past their maximum capacity. Hikari, dressed as Yamino Ami stood outside one particular establishment in the mall. It was filled with all sorts of games that gave tokens as prizes. Tokens could be used toward other games. Some of the best games gave no tokens and where there just for extreme fun and pleasure. Hikari's eyes were on one such game. Dance Dance Revolution.  
'It could be fun.' Hikari tried to urge herself to play it.  
'You could humiliate yourself in public.' Yamino Ami's thoughts countered.  
'Why are you so mean aibou?' Hikari asked.  
'I'm not your partner. I am you, a part of you with different thoughts. But Just the same my thoughts are as different from yours as if we were not the same. Yet we are one and the same separated only by different thoughts. Sometimes we think contradicting thoughts and try to turn these thoughts to actions. That's when we struggle for control. That's when either you stay in control or I take over. And now I say we leave.' Yamino Ami took over and began heading home. Hikari struggled against it but failed. That's when they saw a duel in progress.  
Little did they know, it was coming to a close. "I summon Exodia the Forbidden One. As you know uniting these five pieces in my hand allows me to declare an automatic victory." Both duelists were high school boys. They looked about the same age probably around sixteen. The one who had won was wearing a light blue sweater and black shorts. He had short brown hair that covered his ears. "My Deadly Obliterator Exodia Smasher Deck has won again." He triumphantly shouted in a cocky voice.  
Yamino Ami approached. "Thou hath chosen the dumbest name for thy deck." Yamino Ami insulted when she drew near. "However, maybe the deck's still good. Maybe it's super awful. And if it were that awful then it's not like having a good name would make it a better deck. After all, what's in a name? That which we call kitty poop by any other word would smell just as disgusting." The boy who lost began to laugh. "But if it is good, then a stupid name won't hinder its powers."  
"If you're challenging me just come out and say it. For I, the great Max will crush you in defeat." Max laughed. "So are you going to challenge me to a duel, or are you chicken?"  
'Another annoying laugh,' thought Yamino Ami. "I challenging you. We'll meet here next week at 4:30 on Thursday. My terms are that if you win I must do anything you command me to for a year." Max's eyes widened as his mind began to overflow with thoughts of not doing homework for a year. "But if I win you play my penalty game."  
"I accept!" Max smiled a sinister smile. 'This girl is gonna regret her bet!"  
Yamino Ami was in control until she got home. She let Hikari take over and immediately changed. She called up Rose on her phone. "Hi, Rose. Thursday next week I'm dueling someone at the mall, want to come watch."  
"Sure sensei." Rose answered a little jokingly. "What kind of deck does your opponent run, do you know?"  
"He uses Exodia. So it's likely to be filled with card drawing magic cards. Or possibly he'll combo Painful Choice and Back Up Soldier. Sangan and Black Forest Witch are musts, and cards to revive them are great assets to an Exodia Deck." The two friends talked for a while then Hikari called up Christy and Jacob. After they had been invited to watch, Hikari fell back in her bed.  
"It is so weird. I can be Hikari a long time, but if I'm dressed as Yamino Ami  
I call myself that. Like in school, I listen to my CD's and talk to friends, but I refer to myself as Yamino Ami at those times. I usually take over during most conversations with my friends. But when I talk to other people Yamino Ami talks, even when I'm me. It's all so confusing."  
'If mother hears she's calling a therapist.' Yamino Ami told Hikari to, 'shut up.'  
'I want to read a poem.' Hikari sat up and leaned toward her bookshelf to grab a rather large book of poetry.  
'You like poems?' Asked Yamino Ami pointlessly.  
'You know everything I like. Cats, dogs, mice, the color purple.' That was Hikari's response.  
'The itsy bitsy spider caught a mouse in his web. The itsy bitsy spider BIT OFF THE MOUSE'S HEAD!' Yamino Ami recited one of Hikari's least favorite poems, one that came from an American Tail.  
'You know I don't like that,' Hikari whimpered. 'That was mean.' Hikari sulked in bed. 'But you're me. So doesn't that mean I just thought that?'  
'As you think everything I think.'  
'What's that supposed to mean.'  
'You thought it!'  
'I did didn't I.' Hikari recited it in her mind. "What's wrong with me?" She stuffed her face into a feather pillow and began to cry. She kept crying until the darkness overcame her. And then dreams occupied her mind.  
Yamino Ami was the one to awaken. It was four in the morning so she was still grouchy. Hikari was asleep. Every thought was grouchy in her head and thus would support a darker theme of thoughts, so thus only Yamino Ami was awake. That was because Hikari couldn't be awake. It was impossible. Yet Of course Hikari was awake, as Yamino Ami was Hikari. But Yamino Ami was so different from Hikari; it was almost as if they were not the same. So, even though they were one and the same, they're two quite different people. So was Hikari awake or asleep? Are they one or two? I'll leave that up to you.  
"I believe I shall edit my deck." Yamino Ami switched cards around between her deck and box of cards. "Dark Mirror Force a.k.a. Evil Barrier Dark Force, the opposite of Mirror Force the English equivalent of Holy barrier Mirror Force." Yamino Ami fell back into slumber as she inserted that card in her deck. It was Hikari who awoke hours later to finish the customization.  
To help pass the time afterwards, Hikari listened to her favorite Dance Dance Revolution songs which, included Butterfly, End of the Century, Boys, Dream a Dream, Speed Over Beethoven, Cartoon Heroes Speedy Mix, Cow Girl, Freckles, and a lot of others. "Into the night, you make me cry, I need your love, to save my life." She sang along.  
'This song is stupid,' interrupted Yamino Ami. 'You always listen to stupid songs like the Pokémon theme. Now this, listen to something else.' Hikari switched to another CD, this one containing songs by William Hung. 'God, no, go back. Back I say, listen to Pokémon if you must, anything else. Just not him!' Yamino Ami pleaded out of character.  
"She bangs, she bangs, I'm wasted by the way she moves!" Hikari teased. 'Now who is in CONTROL,' Hikari danced around. "Fine I'll be nice." 'Unlike someone else.' Hikari hinted.  
'But I'm not someone else for we are the same,' responded Yamino Ami. 'I'm just a better part of you then you.'  
The next song started. "We love the subs, cause they are good to us." The CD player shouted into Hikari's ears.  
'Fine play William Hung! I was wrong, there is something worse then him!' Yamino Ami wanted to kill Hikari, but couldn't. For that would be suicidal.  
"I like William Hung." Hikari switched the song to Hey Ya and began dancing like an idiot.  
A few minutes later Hikari's mom heard a shout, and ran to her daughter's room. "Are you alright?" She asked.  
"I just hurt myself dancing to Hey ya." Hikari responded.  
"Trying to 'shake it like a Polaroid picture?" Hikari nodded to her mom's question.  
'God it sounded stupid in the song. Now your mom makes it sound stupider.' Not to mention her pronunciation was way off, she spoke rather then sang. Thought Yamino Ami. 'And yes I mean your mother. I'm denying that I'm her daughter too. Even though we're the same.'  
'Stop being so mean.' Hikari pleaded.  
'Only if you can conquer me, which you would have trouble doing.' Yamino Ami debated laughing and in the end decided upon snickering.  
'Maybe I'll just go into some form of Zen-type training,' Hikari thought. Yamino Ami took over and bit her finger. This was something that wasn't at all uncommon. The two argued, as they loved to do on weekends. Before long Monday was here. At school Yamino Ami ran into Michael and let Hikari talk to him.  
"Thanks for making me play your 'Penalty Game,' I really enjoy volunteering. there. He offered a handshake. Against the will of Yamino Ami, Hikari accepted. "I heard you were going to duel someone at the mall this Wednesday, can I come and watch?"  
"Sure, except its on Thursday at 4:30 so you'll have to leave the gym early." Hikari responded. "Hope you can make it." Hikari added with a smile.  
"Sure, I'll try to come if I can get a ride. I could walk but I'd probably be late. And in case I don't make it, good luck." He walked away waving good-bye.  
And before she knew it Thursday was here. Yamino Ami found herself mentally laughing when the teacher had to put out another fire in the boy's restroom and then returned to a half empty room. Well much emptier then just half empty, only three students remained, including Yamino Ami. After the security was called they failed to catch any students because they were too busy stopping a major riot halfway across the high school that was decidedly more urgent. So the teacher announced free time. Yamino Ami was proud of herself whilst Hikari was disgusted. The duel came soon enough.  
  
Quite a lot of people had come to watch the duel including the loser of last Friday's duel. A lot of random people where there shouting in favor of Max, but Yamino Ami cared not. "Ready to lose?" Max asked.  
"You are. Good." Replied Yamino Ami with a tiny smile.  
"It's time to duel!" Max shouted excitedly.  
"Someone kill him, please," requested Yamino Ami! "It's time to duel," she mocked with an extremely sarcastic tone to her voice. Though she usually loved to speak with a zombie-like voice, she would stop every now and then to make a sarcastic comment.  
The two shuffled their decks as Hikari's friends arrived and began cheering her on. Max went first and drew a card. 'Excellent, I now have a piece of the puzzle, the left leg of Exodia!' "I play this card in defense mode." 'When my witch is annihilated she can grab another piece from my deck.'  
"Yamino Ami, you can do it!" Jacob shouted. He turned to Christy "When something happens can you explain to me please?" He whispered. She nodded her head. "Go Yamino Ami." He cheered again.  
Yamino Ami drew. "I'll lay this Face Down and summon into attack mode my Chaosrider Gustaph (A: 1400) the English Chaos Rider Gustav. Next Graceful Charity lets me draw three cards and discard two, but I doubt someone running an Exodia Deck would lack that knowledge. For the gift of three new cards I discard Dark Hole and Big Koala. Next I remove my two magic cards from play and power up my monster, just as its effect declares I may do. Next I attack."  
"You activate the effect of Black Forest Witch," Max shouted with childish glee. Christy narrated for Jacob what that meant. 'Three more pieces and I win. She's making it too easy. She knew my Deck type; she could have built a deck specifically to counter it. She's so dumb.' Max laughed. "I draw." Max laughed again. "I play Pot of Greed and draw two cards. Next I summon Sangan." (A: 1000)  
"I activate Solemn Wishes. Now whenever I draw I gain 500 Life Points. And I take my turn. Unless you plan to continue your turn." Max shook his head. "And I gain Life Points as I draw. Now I play Soul Absorption. Whenever my cards are removed from play I gain 500 Life Points. Next I Summon a Sangan of my own. I attack you with Chaos Rider."  
"So Yamino Ami," began Christy, "declares an attack. Her opponent's monster is in attack mode. So the monster with the lower attack is destroyed, and the difference in attack points is subtracted from its owner's Life points." Jacob nodded his head.  
"Next I attack directly." Yamino Ami declared in a calm cool voice as if nothing was happening.  
"It's a direct attack now because Max has nothing on the field. So Sangan's attack is subtracted from Max's Life Points." Christy explained in a whisper. "Go Yamino Ami! Beat this guy!" She shouted.  
"Yeah beat him Yamino Ami!" Rose called out. "You've got the lead. Finish him off quick. Show him no mercy!" Rose shouted above Max's supporters.  
"Go Yamino Ami, you can do it." Michael screamed.  
"Yeah, you can do it." Jacob shouted.  
"I'll begin now," Max declared. 'When she killed my Sangan I got a third piece. I'm almost done here. "Even if you gain a 1000 Life Points I play Upstart Goblin to draw a new card from my deck!" He examined his options. "I set a Face Down card in defense and Three Face Downs in my magic/trap zone!"  
"I draw." Yamino Ami smiled. I discard three monsters with Cheerful Coffin." She played a card concealing it with her hand. "Soul Release will take my four monsters out of play. Next I rid my grave of its two magic cards for the powering of Chaosrider." (A: 2000) "I won't attack just yet!"  
"I'll draw." Max smiled as he saw his card. 'Exodia the Forbidden One. My fourth piece. I'll win if I draw the final one!' "I activate my face down Graceful Charity." 'Darn it. I didn't get the last piece.'  
Yamino Ami drew. "This is over, we discard our hands with Card Destruction!" 'Exodia is dead!' "Next I strengthen Chaosrider and attack with Sangan."  
'Still no final piece.' "I activate Back Up Soldier to get three of the limbs back. And when my face down Hane-Hane is flipped I activate Call of the Haunted to bring the head to the field. And as my monster lets me return a monster card to its owners hand I choose Exodia!" He had reclaimed all the pieces.  
"Attack him directly Chaosrider Gustav!" The score was 11500 – 4900 but that wouldn't matter if Max got Exodia, the instant win five card combination made popular by the first episode of the dub. Max drew and played Raigeki wiping Yamino Ami's field of monsters. He summoned and attacked with Dunames Dark Witch. (A: 1800) He had to discard as he had to many cards at the end of his turn.  
"Yamino Ami you can do it!" Jacob screeched.  
She drew and smiled a dark smile. "I play my Red Lobster Demon. It attacks your Dunames with its attack of 3600."  
"It's almost over, I have a small deck, and in this deck is Exodia I'm sure to draw it soon!" He drew. Yet still no Exodia. He set a Face Down.  
"You won't get it once you see the monster I got from my deck with Sangan. It may be weak but I summon White Magical Hat. When it deals damage to you I discard a card from your hand. Go my monsters attack Lobster Demon first!" Purely by luck, Yamino Ami discarded an Exodia Piece.  
"I, I, I," max stuttered, "lost. I've no other method left to recover that piece and I can't win through attacks. I fought so well and lost to a single card!" He shouted in frustration. He fell back on his bottom. He then smiled. "Good game, so I guess you win the bet then huh?" Yamino Ami nodded. "So what is your penalty game?" Max asked.  
"For an entire month you must volunteer at the animal shelter." Yamino Ami said. It was always Yamino Ami who spoke of the penalty games and told a person what there penalty game was, but the penalty games where all Hikari's suggestions.  
As instructed, Max played his penalty game for a month, but soon began going on Mondays of his own free will. He decided that when he became an adult he would most likely pursue a career as a veterinarian.  
Hikari had big thoughts on her mind; the school was having a talent show next month. And she was signing up whether Yamino Ami let her or not. So she just had to choose a talent. She called up Jacob and Rose, they decided to form a band for the talent show. They also invited Michael but his schedule was full. So now she and her friends were practicing for the talent show.  
It was a Friday night, with no rehearsal. Hikari was at the mall struggling against the will of Yamino Ami. She could do it if she tried, right? She could play the game and have fun. Why let a stupid voice in her head dictate her actions? Yet in the end Yamino Ami won out. Hikari looked back regretfully at an empty Dance Dance Revolution machine, a machine she easily could have been dancing upon herself. She wished she could break free of Yamino Ami.  
'At least I agreed to let you become the laughingstock of the school!' Yamino Ami shouted in her mind 'I shouldn't even let you be doing this.'  
'Now you think as if you and I are different people,' Hikari shouted in her mind. 'Make up your mind!'  
'We are one and the same, those thoughts were your thoughts, all of mine are. Obviously you can't make up your mind!' Yamino Ami shouted. 'Now shut up and be glad to participate in the talent show.'  
'But I want more. I want to be able to just play games at the mall for fun. I don't want you around anymore!' Hikari shot back.  
'Even if it means no attention, being forgotten. You got interviewed on the news twelve times because of me. You need me to be the best. You want to be the best right?'  
'At all costs.' Hikari sighed. 'Your right I need you.' She began to cry. 


	4. Interlude

Disclaimer: In the last three chapters I told you I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I still don't.  
  
This is just a quick chapter, so I hope you don't mind. Please review when you finish reading, if you liked it. Just let me know what you think with a sentence or two! Please, pretty please with a cherry on top!   
  
Interlude  
  
Pov(Hoshiko)  
  
Searching was a tiring task, but I shall continue pursuing the one I seek. I wish to challenge the worlds greatest duelist, but to do that I must find, him or her. Most adults find it out when they hear that an eighteen-year-old girl plays Yu-Gi-Oh. Usually those foolish enough to think only boys plat, and that it's a kid's game. I then proceed to tell them about some of the darker cards in the game. I usually use Devil's Sanctuary as my example.  
  
Well I've made some money writing novels and I've spent it traveling between America and Japan and sometimes on a rare occasion another country. All on a search for the best. I've lost a few times but I never move on 'til I win a rematch. I've been searching for about a year to find the greatest duelist. But no one has proven to be much of a challenge. I've beaten some pretty tough decks too; Cyber-Stein, Yata-Lock, Butterfly Dagger Gearfreed Combos, and lots of other cheap combos have all fallen to my deck.  
  
So I'm still searching for the best duelist in the world. And I never will stop until I find him. Or her. I won't give up even if it takes me a whole year longer, even if it takes longer than that. It is my greatest dream to duel with world champions. I haven't the time to enter many tournaments so I just duel those who have already won really big tournaments.   
  
I wonder if my family misses me. My little sister should be in high school now. I wonder how she's doing? We always were best friends. She cried the day I told her I was leaving. I hope she's not feeling too bad. I'll never forget her crying out to me. I know I miss her a lot and should visit. But I'm on a quest. Maybe I'll visit if someone in that area makes a name for themself and I end up around there anyway. Like that would ever happen. I remember one kid I dueled ran an awful beatdown deck, and the others I dueled didn't know what they were doing.  
  
Flashback  
  
"I attack you with Swords of revealing Light!" Hoshiko's young opponent shouted.  
  
"You can't. It's a magic card and it can't attack."  
  
"Says who?" Asked the kid. "Swords can attack!"  
  
"But this is the card game and the people who made it said magic cards can't attack!"  
  
"I'm not going to play with you because you cheat!" The young child left.  
  
End Flashback  
  
This bus ride is taking to long. I've seen all the scenery before, so it's not that captivating. Hey I think that's my stop coming up. The great duelist Shikomi is supposed to live around here. He runs a Guardian Deck which, is supposed to be very powerful. I've never dueled against one so this should be fun. If the duel proves challenging I may convert to a Guardian Deck myself. It sounds fun enough. The Guardians can only be played when their Equip Card Counterpart is on the field. So it should be interesting to see how it plays. I currently have one Guardian and two Equips for other Guardians so even if I decide to convert I'd need to buy more boosters. Oh well the bus stopped. Time to go! 


	5. Teach You a Lesson

Disclaimer: No, I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did then the dubs would contain characters called Honda, Anzu, and such. I don't own the song either Full Blown Rose does. I don't own Tru Calling either. I don't own Butterfly, I don't own any songs!  
  
I don't own DDR, Waldens. I don't own etc.   
  
Sun-ay -ay 16th co-put-- ---us-s to typ- c--tain l-tt--s   
  
Will typ-  
  
Abc ghijkl nopq stuvwxy an- z  
  
Monday May 17th computer is working.  
  
For those of you unable to decipher the mess age I wrote above it says  
  
Sunday May 16th computer refuses to type certain letters   
  
Will type  
  
Abc ghijkl nopq stuvwxy and z  
  
Basically, yesterday I couldn't type the letters d,e,f,m, or r!  
  
Weird isn't it!  
  
Every now and then I'll update the interlude with short stories that needn't necessarily go in any chronological order with the chapters. I'll usually say at the end of a chapter if the next thing I plan to post is an update to the Interlude. Can any one guess the significance of the character in the interlude, Hoshiko? It's probably obvious to anyone reading this, not that that includes many people.   
  
If I get enough reviews I may post a preview of what will happen many chapters from now.   
  
Please r/r please.   
  
And now our feature presentation. (Or whatever they say in videos.)  
  
Fusion Deck of a Greedy Substitute Teacher, Yamino Ami Challenges Hachi Sensei!  
  
A.K.A.   
  
Teach You a Lesson!  
  
Téa Gardner's feet moved incredibly in sync with the beat of the dance machine. Téa, or as Hikari preferred to call her, Anzu, was the star of the episode of Yu-Gi-Oh. At least for the short amount of time she was dancing in public. As Hikari watched the fictional character dance on the screen on this late Monday afternoon, she wished she could do the same. But her "evil self" had thwarted every single attempt made to play Dance Dance Revolution, about five or so. It was a surprise when she found herself able to sign up for the school talent show without any hostility from Yamino Ami.  
  
'You should be thankful for that. If you are not I may just change my mind.' Yamino Ami threatened silently with one of the coldest voices in the world. 'Get ready, practice is soon, over at Jacob's house. Don't embarrass yourself by showing up late.'  
  
Hikari dressed in Yamino Ami's clothing without the make up but decided to ditch that choice for a similar but slightly different outfit. She put her long hair in a ponytail, donned a long sleeve black shirt that ended above her belly, and shiny black pants. She hurried off to go to the rehearsal.  
  
It was after practicing for three and a half-hours that the discussion of Yu-Gi-Oh began. "I recently got Chaos Emperor Dragon for three bucks of a little kid and sold it for forty-eight. I felt bad so I gave the kid forty-five dollars back when I found him." Christy told everyone else. "I then bought two boosters and got two more Chaos Emperors." She exclaimed with a smile. "I sold one but kept the other."  
  
"Wow that is so awesome," said Rose. "Remind me to take you shopping with me when I want boosters." Everyone laughed including Hikari. "Hey want to have a duel right now Christy?" Rose asked.  
  
"Sure, Rose." The two friends shuffled their decks. It was odd, they were the best of friends the second they were introduced they began jabbering away ignoring Hikari, not that it bothered her.  
  
"I'll go first." Shouted Christy. She drew six cards. "I summon Cure Mermaid in attack mode." 1500/? (Sorry for the inconvenience.) "Next I'll Set a card." Christy announced her turn was over so Rose drew.  
  
"I summon Maha Vailo," 1550/? "And equip her with two Axe of Despairs raising her attack to 4550. But I won't attack with your face down, or will I?" Rose thought for a moment. "I end my turn."  
  
The battle went on a long time with Christy, due to her constant healing, in the lead but a well-timed Self-Destruct Button (?) ended the duel in a tie.  
  
"Wow you were pretty amazing," Rose complimented her friend Christy. "That was an excellent duel. I hope we can play again some time soon."  
  
"Sure, you were pretty good yourself Rose." Christy returned the compliment. The two dueled again but Rose's trap card was reliably giving her a tie with Christy.  
  
Hikari left for home as Jacob shouted out to her, "See you at school tomorrow."  
  
She slowly turned around to face him.  
  
"Actually it's a waiver day." She replied. "So there isn't any school. Maybe we should have an all day practice over here so we can get even better." Rose nodded her head in agreement.  
  
"Sounds like a good idea." Jacob added in. "Let's meet here tomorrow at six o' clock." The other band members gave their agreement through a head nod.  
  
And so the next day they met to sing. 'I'm being haunted by a whisper, a chill comes over me," Hikari twirled, danced, and rocked to the beat of the Tru Calling theme song. She clenched her right fist and tossed her head back to add emotion to the song. She only did what she felt was right for the song. She sang along with a beautiful voice tinged with a hint of darkness, provided by Yamino Ami, perfect for this particular song.  
  
They would have soon finished this song again, but the phone rang. Jacob answered only to find out Christy called and said she was sick and her mom wanted Jacob to go pick her up. So the three friends went together to grab Jacob's sister.   
  
She was in her science class with a substitute teacher, Mr. Hachi. Jacob grabbed Christy and she said good-bye to the teacher. But he seemed overly interested in a duel between two students. "Interesting, your substitute seems interested in Yu-Gi-Oh," commented Jacob.   
  
Hikari smiled, "Why weren't you in the health room?" She questioned. "And you don't exactly seem sick."  
  
Christy leaned over and whispered in Hikari's ear. "That substitute was getting on my nerves. He confiscated my deck and let other people play. He returned my deck but my Chaos Emperor was gone!" Christy cried. "He was so mean, he called me names because I played a so called boy's game. Well it's not only for boys."  
  
"Wait," Hikari stopped walking. "Your Chaos Emperor was missing?" Christy nodded. "Jacob, take your sister home. I'll be right back. Teachers are constantly educating children, but every now and then one of them needs a lesson."  
  
"What exactly do you mean, Hikari?" Jacob asked.  
  
"Out of Christy's entire deck, not many cards can do much damage on their own. Chaos Emperor was her trump; it's rare and powerful. Now it's missing from her deck, I'm willing to guess a certain sub is really into a certain card game." Hikari ran back to the class.  
  
Mr. Hachi looked up at Hikari. "Is there something I can do for you miss?" he asked standing up, holding a deck of cards in his hand.   
  
"Yeah, I'd like to do something. I would like to," she paused for a moment," teach you a lesson." She pointed her finger at the sub. "You took my friend's card for your own deck didn't you?" The sub smiled.  
  
"Is there something you'd like to do about it?" He asked tauntingly.  
  
"As a matter of fact, there is." Her voice filled to the rim with an attitude she saved only for those who ticked her off real bad. "I challenge you to a very special duel. If you win, through some amazing miracle, then you get my deck, and fifty dollars. But if I win, you'll return all the cards you've taken from children, even if your sending it in an envelope all the way to China. Then you'll play my penalty game."  
  
"I like your risks." Mr. Hachi smiled, "Your on. Anytime you're ready." He shuffled his deck. "Even if that means right now, in class!" He added with a smile.  
  
"No, not now. I'll give you a day to prepare the best deck you can. You'll need it to have a one in a million chance to beat me. If I'm even dueling, that is. If my Yami takes over you'll lose your one in a million chance. If anything you'll have a one in, say three times infinity." Yamino Ami walked off ready to kill. "Tomorrow, three, mall, outside Waldens."   
  
"Ai yi yi I'm your little butterfly; green, black, and blue make the colors in the sky." Hikari sang along to the upswing mix of Butterfly. It was one of her favorites. Of course, they were all her favorites. She had the lyrics memorized to all of the different versions, not that they were really that different. "Ai yi yi I'm your little butterfly; green, black, and blue make the colors in the sky. I've been searching for a man, all across Japan." She fell back onto her bed mid verse. "Just to find to find my samurai. Someone who is strong," she ran her fingers through her new experimental deck. "I hate using cheap combos, but this guy deserves it. He's a real idiot." She muttered. The song ended and Speed Over Beethoven began.   
  
"I still need to have a samurai," Hikari thought.  
  
"God no, not now. Why now, in the height of our mission," Yamino Ami complained, "do you spontaneously decide you need someone to love." 'And why are we talking out loud?'  
  
'Yes I need I need my samurai.' Hikari thought, half attempting to annoy Yamino, half yearning for a certain someone.  
  
'Jacob. You like him don't you?' Yamino Ami teased.  
  
'What, no, he's just a friend." Insisted Hikari.   
  
'Listen I'm you, so it's true, I know your thoughts. I hate him, you love him. I could tell that's why you're so nice to Christy all the time.'  
  
'Maybe,' Hikari thought, 'you're right.' She blushed a bright red. 'I always wanted someone to love. That's why I like Butterfly so much, plus it's a cool song.' She added.  
  
'Yeah, it has the ability to send people to the asylum.' Yamino Ami moaned.  
  
It wasn't long before Yamino Ami sat across Mr. Hachi. "Prepare to be playing my penalty game, after your defeat arrives swiftly, for my deck contains the awesome powerful of the Butterfly Dagger ."  
  
A lot of people laughed, making comments to the effect of "that stupid card sucks," Mr. Hachi joined in.  
  
"That is the worst equip card ever, it won't defeat me."  
  
"Prepare to be shocked. You're currently to stupid to possibly fathom the secret abilities of the best equip card ever." Yami no Ami smiled. "My three card combo will annihilate you as soon as I get it, and can be assured it is safe to attack!"  
  
"You'll never pull of a combo that powerful with so weak a card. In fact I refuse to duel someone who puts so much faith in a single card, it's how the deck flows that can alter the tide of the duel."  
  
"Usually that is true, but the Yu-Gi-Oh card game is a very broken game where some cards have way to much power. That's why Japan officially released a list of banned cards. Even still, some of the cars remain broken. I'll show you the power of Eruma's Dagger, if you're willing to accept my challenge."  
  
"Meet me back here in half an hour," Mr. Hachi began. "I'm going to purchase a meal to celebrate my victory." He walked off. "Of course you can always run away if you just so happen to realize how foolish you are."  
  
"I'll be here on time to defeat you." Yamino Ami was quite angry with her opponent. She calmed down and Hikari walked over to the nearest pay phone and called Christy, who arrived with Jacob in fifteen minutes prepared with a big hug and 'thank you.'  
  
'Ai yi yi. Ai yi yi. Ai yi yi where's my samurai.' Hikari mentally sang awaiting the return of Mr. Hachi. There were a few minutes left. 'Poor people, they'll be waiting so long for such a short duel.' Hikari thought. It was almost a thought belonging to Yamino Ami.  
  
'I've been searching for a man,' Yamino Ami mocked, 'What the heck is wrong with you. Keep focused on the upcoming duel.'  
  
And finally the older duelist arrived. "I hope you won't mind if I make the opening move." He drew six cards. "Because I'll make it weather you like it or not." The audience began chanting his name. "I play Pot of Greed." He smiled when he took two cards off the top of his deck. 'Excellent.' "You'll never beat me." He too k a smaller deck of cards from behind his back and placed it on the playing field.  
  
"I see you have a fusion deck. I'm willing to bet you've confiscated quite a bit of rare cards." Yamino Ami commented, "Makes no difference though." 'Once I get my three cards, and clear away his Traps he'll be doomed.'  
  
"Hachi, Hachi he's so great. Mr. Hachi annihilate." The members of the audience shouted. "Show this girl who's boss." One boy shouted. "Yeah girl's shouldn't be playing this game. Girl's are stupid." Another chanted. "She doesn't even know good cards from bad ones."  
  
"That is where you are all wrong. And whoever made that sexist statement, I'll duel you next, or I could just plain out send you on a month long vacation to the hospital." That one particular boy took a step back, or two, or maybe two steps and a few jumps.  
  
"Don't worry I'll show her." Mr. Hachi shouted. "I play Polymerization. He grabbed three cards from his hand. "Three heads are better then one. Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, arise and bring forth destruction to this duel." The audience cheered.  
  
"Hachi, Hachi he's so great. Mr. Hachi annihilate. Hachi Hachi ichiban. Mr. Hachi's already won. Hachi, Hachi he's so neat, Hachi sensei can't be beat. Hachi, Hachi he's so great. Mr. Hachi annihilate. Hachi Hachi ichiban. Mr. Hachi's already won. Hachi, Hachi he's so neat, Hachi sensei can't be beat." The audience cheered.  
  
"You'll never stand up to the might of my Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, it'll eat up whatever you throw it's way." Mr. Hachi laughed. "Name one monster you have that can destroy my ferocious dragon."  
  
"Man-Eater Bug." Yamino Ami said with a pinch of 'duh.' "Then I can use Raise Dead and kick your butt with your own precious fusion." Yamino Ami taunted. "Then you'll be forced to play my penalty game."  
  
"We'll see about that, you can't possibly win with Butterfly dagger- Elma, it's too weak to do anything. It only raises the attack and defense of a monster by 300. You're much better off with, Malevolent Nuzzler, Axe of Despair, United We Stand, or Mage Power."   
  
"Hachi, Hachi he's so great. Mr. Hachi annihilate. Hachi, Hachi, ichiban. Mr. Hachi's already won. Hachi, Hachi he's so neat, Hachi sensei can't be beat. Hachi, Hachi he's so great. Mr. Hachi annihilate. Hachi Hachi ichiban. Mr. Hachi's already won. Hachi, Hachi he's so neat, Hachi sensei can't be beat." The audience cheered, again. They repeated it once more.  
  
Yamino Ami drew, "I've already won." She smiled. "Prepare to find out what my combo is." She placed three cards face down. Next she played a card from her hand. "Card Destruction, chained with my face down Premature Burial. We discard our hands for new ones and I can resurrect my almighty monster. Though it starts out with only 2000 attack points, any magic cards we play give it 200 extra attack points in the form of a magic counter. (AN: I'm so sorry I can not remember the darn thing's name.) "It can also remove two magic counters to destroy any monster. That's right two any magic cards I play will enable me to destroy your dragon."  
  
"That's impossible, not my almighty dragon." Mr. Hachi freaked out. The crowd started booing. " Well that doesn't guarantee you a win necessarily. All I need to do is summon a monster to destroy your darn Japanese card."  
  
"You won't get to. My first magic card is Raise Dead to bring back my Gearfreed (1800) which destroys any equip cards played on it. That raises my other cards attack to 2200. I'll play another face down magic card and remove both counters to destroy your dragon, and my magic card is my Dagger of Butterflies."  
  
"Alright, you powered up your Japanese card by 300 by equipping it with your dagger and now you attack me directly for 4100 right?" Mr. Hachi placed his dragon in the graveyard.  
  
"Wrong!" Mr. Hachi was surprised by Yamino Ami's words; "I equip my Butterfly Dagger to Gearfreed." Yamino Ami smiled, the crowd laughed.   
  
"Hachi, Hachi he's so great. Mr. Hachi annihilate. Hachi, Hachi, ichiban. Mr. Hachi's already won. Hachi, Hachi he's so neat, Hachi sensei can't be beat. Hachi, Hachi he's so great. Mr. Hachi annihilate. Hachi Hachi ichiban. Mr. Hachi's already won. Hachi, Hachi he's so neat, Hachi sensei can't be beat."  
  
"Your own monsters effect destroys your equip card. Sending it to the graveyard." Mr. Hachi laughed. Yamino Ami pointed to her magic card with a malevolent smile.  
  
"Read it." She instructed.  
  
"Oh that's right it's effect sends it," he paused, "back...to....your....hand." It was then that he realized the trouble he was in. "You've won." The audience was confused. "You'll play your dagger repeatedly on Gearfreed charging up your other monster's attack points to infinity, then you attack." Yamino Ami nodded. "Here take Christy's card, I'll return the others." He hung his head in shame. "I mocked the power of a seemingly weak card and got caught in an infinite combo, you owned me, in one turn. What's my penalty game?" He asked.  
  
"Hold an unofficial Yu-Gi-Oh tournament with a five dollar entry fee, use half the money as a prize to the winner, and donate the other half to an orphanage." Hikari gave Christy her card and walked off to the arcade.  
  
"Ai yi yi I'm your little butterfly; green, black, and blue make the colors in the sky. Ai yi yi I'm your little butterfly, green, black, and blue make the colors in the sky.  
  
"Ai yi yi, ai yi yi, ai yi yi, where's my samurai?" Someone was dancing. It wasn't Hikari.  
  
'You've never let me play.' She thought. 'How come.'  
  
'It's not like you never played before. Fine this person is almost done. She's trying Oni mode and she's about to, never mind she lost. You can try.' Yamino Ami thought solemnly, 'but you're going to embarrass yourself.'  
  
'No I wont.' Hikari inserted four quarters and chose to play Butterfly on Standard. "Can you catch me?" Hikari smiled  
  
"Ai yi yi, ai yi yi, ai yi yi, where's my samurai?" Sang the computer, er, machine or whatever. Arrows were flying and Hikari was dancing. Perfects, Greats, amazing combos were being made. She did turns and fancy tricks, she turned around and danced to the machines reflection on the window. 'This is so much fun, just like last time, a year ago.' Flashbacks over took her mind.  
  
Happier times were thought of in these flashbacks, happier times with the person Hikari respected the most in her world. Happier times she missed. Happier times, she wanted back. Hikari couldn't take it any more. She fell to her knees sobbing. She didn't notice her AA score; she didn't care that people were staring at her. She just cried, and cried, and cried. 


End file.
